Ruto Hikes Civil Servants' Salaries, Rejects His Proposed 14% Pay Rise

President William Ruto on Friday, June 30 announced that the salaries of civil servants will be revised upwards, but rejected plans by the Salaries and Remunerations Commission (SRC) to increase his salary and that of his Deputy Rigathi Gachagua by 14 per cent.

Speaking during the Gava Mkononi App launch at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC), the Head of State honoured SRC's proposal to increase civil servants' salaries owing to the difficult economic times.

"I know there is a proposal by SRC for the increase of salaries of different cadres of both civil servants and other public servants. They have made a recommendation to us that they want to increase the salaries of civil servants by an average of between seven and 10 per cent and that from office assistants all the way to people who serve the PSs (Principal Secretaries).

President William Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Interior CS, Kithure Kindiki during the launch of Gava Mkononi App on June 30, 2023. /PCS

"Because of the economic times we live in, we have approved that the salaries of other civil servants can be adjusted beginning tomorrow (July 1)," he announced much to the applause of the audience.

However, he turned down SRC's proposal to hike his own salary, alluding to an internationally recognised system Ruto instructed SRC to develop to cut down the gap between civil servants' salaries before his own pay wage is increased.

"I have told SRC that there is an internationally accepted formula called compression formula. Until they come back to me and say they have met that formula, our salary increment will wait.

"But for the other people, the state officers, myself, my deputy, ministers, PSs, MPs and others. That salary would remain the way it is. Let it remain the way it is until SRC gives us international best practices because we need to reduce the gap," Ruto ordered. 

Explaining his move, Ruto noted that this would bring about a uniform salary system in the public service and address cases whereby some civil servants earned ten times more than others.

The President further expressed concern regarding the salary system, citing instances whereby some university vice-chancellors and parastatal managing directors were earning more than himself, before ordering SRC to explain the criteria in a detailed report that qualifies them for that huge pay.

Proposed Salary Increase

SRC had proposed to increase the salaries of state officers including the President, the Deputy President, Cabinet Secretaries and MPs by 14 per cent on average over the next two years starting next month to protect them from the high cost of living.

Ruto's monthly gross remuneration package was to rise by 7.1 per cent from July 2023 to Ksh1,546,875 from Ksh1,443,750 currently before a further 6.7 per cent jump to Ksh1,650,000 from July 2024.

On his part, DP Gachagua’s monthly compensation was to rise to Ksh1,367,438 from Ksh1,227,188 at present from July 1 before hitting Ksh1,402,500, representing a cumulative 14.3 per cent jump in his remuneration package over the two years.

The remuneration of Cabinet Secretaries was to also go up to Ksh1,056,000 per month from Ksh924,000 at present. Members of Parliament were to earn Ksh741,003 and Ksh769,201 in July 2023 and July 2024 from Ksh710,000.

“The monthly gross remuneration package proposed herein will be implemented in two phases and is fixed for the term of office of the State officer unless reviewed and set by SRC,” SRC's circular stated.

“For purposes of gratuity and pension, the pensionable emolument shall be based on the monthly basic salary set herein in compliance with the Judgment of the Court in Nairobi ELRC Petition 29 of 2019, the monthly gross remuneration is itemised into basic salary, house allowance, commuter allowance and salary market adjustment. In addition, risk/security allowance for Magistrates and Kadhis.”

The Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice, the Auditor-General, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Inspector-General of Police, and the chairpersons of key commissions were also poised to receive a salary raise according to the circular.

Chief Justice Martha Koome was expected to benefit with her salary hitting Ksh1,403,942 starting in 2024 while her Deputy, Philomena Mwilu's salary from 2024 was capped at Ksh1,304,185 per month minus allowances.